FEATURED PUBLICATION: WorldHum.com

By Roberta Beach Jacobson in Karpathos, Greece

In terms of the web, WorldHum.com is well-aged. That is, they’ve been around since May 2001. They’ve presented some fantastic stories in that time. In fact, some of their pieces have been selected for the annual volumes of the Best American Travel Writing (Travelers’ Tales Books).

Another thing that makes World Hum stand out from the crowd is that they focus on the journey itself, not just a destination. I like their approach. These people are doing something right. The Toronto Globe and Mail reviewed World Hum as, “A site that truly grants readers a little vicarious adventure.”

All pieces, which they call “travel dispatches for a shrinking planet,” should be under 2000 words. You can send either the finished article (paste in please – no attachments) or the pitch to: dispatches@worldhum.com.

And be sure to mention the e-magazine section you’re targeting in your subject line.
Speakers’ Corner (the rants and raves) is my favorite part of World Hum. But you can also submit book reviews, Q&A formats, or first-person travel narratives. They have a lot going on — which you’ll understand once you poke around the site.

Here’s the way they explain their payment situation: “If your story is accepted by World Hum, the editors will contact you as soon as possible with more information, including payment details. Pay begins at $100 for non-exclusive rights to feature stories and varies by section. Assignments and payment details will be confirmed by a contract.”

You can read their complete submission guidelines here:
http://www.worldhum.com/submissions/

The Wall Street Journal and USA Today have both said positive things about World Hum. Frankly, they’ve got lots of accomplished writers knocking at their door. For example, they’ve published Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel and Matt Gross, a regular contributor to New York Magazine.

But don’t let that intimidate you. I mention it simply so you understand that this is a much-admired publication and a place where you could land a clip you could wave about impressively in front of other editors.

Plus keep in mind: You’re guaranteed to NOT get published if you never send anything in. So see if you can impress co-editors Jim Benning or Michael Yessis. They state on the site that travel is a state of mind.

(And while you’re exploring the site, you can find out how they named it, here: http://www.worldhum.com/aboutus/)

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]